In the related art, a sunroof apparatus disclosed in JP 2011-93471A (Reference 1) is known. This sunroof apparatus includes a shielding body, an upper end side of which is mounted to each edge portion of a movable panel in a lateral direction of a vehicle where the movable panel opens and closes an opening formed in a roof of the vehicle, and a lower end side of which is slidably engaged with a long guide portion disposed in each edge portion of the opening in the lateral direction of the vehicle. The shielding body shields an operation mechanism of the sunroof apparatus from a vehicle interior side. The shielding body is moved together with the movable panel while being slid against the guide portion during an opening and closing operation of the movable panel.
Specifically, the guide portion (a second guide groove) has a substantially U-shaped constant section, opens to the inside in the lateral direction of the vehicle, and extends in a longitudinal direction of the vehicle. The guide portion includes a pair of an upper wall portion and a lower wall portion which extend parallel to each other inward in the lateral direction of the vehicle. In contrast, a lower end piece portion is formed in a lower end portion of the shielding body (side garnish) such that the lower end piece portion extends outward in the lateral direction of the vehicle, and is interposed between the upper wall portion and the lower wall portion. The lower end piece portion also extends in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. The shielding body is moved in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle while the lower end piece portion interposed between the upper wall portion and the lower wall portion is slid.
In the sunroof apparatus disclosed in Reference 1, a gap in a vertical direction of the vehicle may occur between the upper wall portion and the lower end piece portion and between the lower wall portion and the lower end piece portion due to variations in a mounting position or component accuracy. Accordingly, when, during sliding, the lower end side (the lower end piece portion) of the shielding body is inclined in the lateral direction of the vehicle, and is brought into unbalanced contact with and interfere with the guide portion, sliding resistance may be increased or decreased, and abnormal noise may occur.
It can be considered that the upper wall portion, the lower wall portion, and the lower end piece are set to be in close contact therebetween in the vertical direction of the vehicle no as to prevent the occurrence of a gap therebetween. In contrast, when these portions excessively overlap with each other in the vertical direction of the vehicle due to variations in component accuracy or the like, sliding resistance is excessively increased, which is another problem.